The White House Council on Environmental Quality recently announced the formation of the National Building Performance Standards Coalition to increase community ownership in climate action and equitably decarbonize America’s buildings. To leverage this moment of governmental alignment on climate action, the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) and Climate Innovation are calling for an investment of $100 million in philanthropic support by Earth Day 2022 to increase community ownership in climate action and equitably decarbonize America’s buildings.
IMT and Climate Innovation supported the Coalition’s formation by providing critical technical expertise and equity expertise on equity as it was designed. The design and recent launch of the Coalition is an example of innovative, cross-sector collaboration. The Coalition is a partnership between 33 state and local governments dedicated to delivering cleaner, healthier, and more affordable buildings. The initiative will not only support energy-efficient buildings but also will create green jobs and lower energy costs for those who now carry the heaviest energy burdens.
The Climate Innovation team is working to ensure that cities are not working in silos, but that this is a community-driving, equity-led process that puts communities' needs and solutions at the forefront of planning and policy efforts. Together with IMT, we are calling for an investment of $100 million in philanthropic support to activate a national network of equity, environmental justice, and building decarbonization leaders to ensure that new building performance standards implemented by cities and states contribute to a just transition and reflect community priorities.
